Prashant Bhushan, the lawyer, an activist - and a politician sometimes

Senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan, 61, spends most of his time fighting pro bono (without fee) cases

It is 10.30 am on a Tuesday morning at the Supreme Court. Tense-faced people are stumbling across the gates and multiple security checkpoints to make it to their respective hearings in time. Keeping pace with them are lawyers and their associates carrying hefty files. Most of the 15 courtrooms seem packed to capacity and, yet, people keep pouring in. The lords finally arrive to take their high chairs.

For many thousand others who aren’t present, a hearing has commenced in Court No 4 which could decide how they will sleep at night. In E R Kumar Vs Union of India,